Given Guyanese lack of capacity…American group and TT firms take over Exxon’s multi-million dollar waste management contracts

Jan 17, 2022 News

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Kaieteur News – In light of the fact that there is a limited number of Guyanese service providers of hazardous and nonhazardous waste management, Tiger Rentals- a U.S. based energy rental and service company with its subsidiaries in Guyana and Trinidad, have been dominating the majority of ExxonMobil’s multi-million dollar waste management contracts.
Also getting a piece of the pie are five Trinidadian firms: Oil Mop, Enviro Care (Preysal), CamQuip, Tiger Tanks, Chaguramas Shorebase. This is outlined in ExxonMobil’s Comprehensive Waste Management Plan (CWMP) submitted to Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last year. The document was prepared by the American multinational in keeping with the requirements of the Payara Environmental Permit that demanded same be done.
According to the document, wastes received from offshore are managed at Tiger Rentals Guyana and Sustainable Environmental Solutions (SES) Guyana Inc, which was formed in 2020 by the Guyana Shore Base Inc. after being awarded a long term contract by ExxonMobil. This award covers the management of hazardous waste, non-hazardous waste, and the treatment of drill cuttings. The company, which was launched officially in April, 2021, comprises Gaico Construction, General Services Incorporated and Corena Group, which operates as Gaico Corena Environmental Services, and the Guyana Shore Base Incorporated (GYSBI).

The CWMP states that both Tiger Rentals and SES have a design/processing capacity sufficient to treat and store hazardous wastes.
Exxon noted that TRG, which is located at GYSBI at Plantation “A”, Houston District, East Bank Demerara, is currently the primary provider of hazardous and non-hazardous waste services to EEPGL projects. It said TRG employs a variety of waste treatment technologies (sorting/segregation of recyclables, physical/chemical/and thermal treatment of hazardous and nonhazardous wastes) and discharges its treated fluids as permitted to the Demerara River. TRG, the document notes, sends its treated non-hazardous solid waste as well as other wastes received (including general waste, paper/cardboard, and scrap wood) to the publicly owned and operated Haags Bosch Landfill (HBL). Kaieteur News understands that TRG receives wastes from Exxon directly, as well as many other companies involved with the offshore oil exploration and production operations.
Even as these companies continue to dominate the contracts for waste management, it is important to note that the Local Content Law makes no provision for there to be technology transfer for locals to build their capacity and eventually dominate this aspect of the industry.
ABOUT CWMP
The Comprehensive Waste Management Plan (CWMP) is a cradle to grave document based on a holistic review of ExxonMobil’s subsidiary and Stabroek Block operator, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited’s (EEPGL) maturing waste management process first developed in 2015 for EEPGL’s first discovery well.
The CWMP was developed pursuant to Section 5 of the Payara Development Project Environmental Permit (#20181204-PPOIX) and the Cradle to Grave Waste Analysis Study approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on September 13, 2021. Numerous topics from the Waste Analysis Study are integrated within this Plan.
The Plan is intended to accommodate all projects in Guyana associated with EEPGL’s exploration and appraisal drilling, development drilling, installation and hook-up, commissioning, and start up, office construction, production operations, and related activities. The plan is inclusive of the Liza Phase One Development Project, Liza Phase Two Development Project which comes on stream this quarter, the Payara Development Project, the Guyana Fiber Optic Cable, and EEPGL Guyana Office Complex Project, as well as permitted or planned drilling projects. In addition, the plan makes provision for projects currently under review by the EPA, including Yellowtail and the Gas to Energy Project.
As new projects are planned or come on stream, Exxon said the Plan will be updated to address them. Kaieteur News understands that the plan, once approved, will replace and supersede previous Waste Management Plans incorporated in approved Environmental Impact Statements and permits for ExxonMobil.
It was further noted that the Plan will provide both EEPGL and the EPA with an efficient way to understand and reference waste management practices for all EEPGL waste management activities.
Additionally, Exxon highlighted that the plan was informed by a cradle to grave waste management analysis, is defined by the Guyana EPA as the full life cycle assessment of waste from the point of generation to the final recycling, reuse, treatment, or disposal. Waste treatment may also result in the generation of new residual wastes to be considered.
The first step in the cradle-to-grave waste management approach begins with the understanding and identification of the points of generation. In this regard, it was noted that wastes are initially generated on the various types of vessels and infrastructure that are operating offshore.
ExxonMobil was keen to note that its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, uses a waste tracking system that allows for the tracking of the waste from initial generation through final disposal, discharge, reuse, or recycling. The information included in the manifests is maintained in a database, and EEPGL also requires that its third-party waste management facilities use a similar tracking database to show the storage, processing, and ultimate discharge, disposal, reuse, or recycle of the wastes.
EEPGL then compiles and reports this information to the EPA as part of its waste summary in the annual environmental report.

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